Location, Location, Location
Published on 23 March 2005
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5) Your neighbours - how near to them would you like to be, how often would you like to see them and what sort of people would you prefer them to be?
They say you can’t choose your family...but can you choose your neighbours? Not really! But you can go some way to choosing the ‘type’ of people your neighbours are more likely to be by thinking about the location of your dream property. For example you are unlikely to find hard living hard working city types next door to that rural cottage you’ve been dreaming of just as you are unlikely to find keen gardeners or sheep farmers next door to your ideal city loft apartment!
If you’d prefer never to meet your neighbours you might like to live in splendid isolation, alternatively if you are keen to make friends quickly with like minded people you might prefer to share walls with neighbours.
6) How close to amenities and facilities do you need to be?
Are you happy to drive to the beach, post office, supermarket or hairdresser? Do you prefer to be within walking distance of a golf course, a swimming pool or the local shops? What amenities and facilities do you need, how close at hand do you need them to be?
7) Consider your need for public transport, where the nearest services are, how frequent, cost effective and reliable they are and how early and late they run.
In some countries buses, trains and taxis are affordable and available, in others you need to be entirely self-reliant in terms of transportation. If you can’t drive how will you survive, if you want to go out and have a drink how will you get home, what if your partner has a car and you don’t, how will this restrict your quality of life?
Firstly think about the levels of public transportation that you will likely require, and then examine what’s available, where it’s available and which locations fulfil your requirements accordingly.
8) How far away is the nearest airport?
Even if you are planning on upping sticks and moving lock stock and barrel to your new home abroad there may well be times you need to go ‘back home’ to visit family or indeed go elsewhere abroad for holiday or business. Furthermore, friends and family may very well want to visit you and so certain international travel links will become essential.
Think about the availability of international travel links and your proximity to them.
9) How good, accessible and affordable are essential services such as health and education?
When you move abroad you may be single and fighting fit but what if you later suffer an illness or ‘become a family’...you will probably have need for health services and possibly education services later on in life and so you should think about these issues today in terms of quality, affordability and also the proximity of essential services to you.
Don’t just look to the short term - buying a house is a massive undertaking and one which people seldom undertake all that often! Once you’ve bought your home abroad you’re unlikely to want to up sticks and move closer to better facilities and amenities once you’ve just arrived! Do the thinking and planning before you buy and get it right first time!
10) Consider your entertainment needs and the availability and accessibility of what’s on offer for you.
When you first move abroad life will be full of so much excitement and new experiences that the very thought of going out, to the cinema, to a restaurant or bar might fall far down your list of priorities, but as you settle into your life abroad so your desire for entertainment options will increase, don’t limit your long term lifestyle choices by your short term location choices.